Separable button.



l m BMW NM] NBD IE2 LH PM! E A m Hu B m L Patented Apr. 20, 1909.

PATENT OFFICE.

llLlSllA A. PlllNNlDY, 0F PAWTUUKEL, RHODE lSLANl).

SEPABABLE BUTTON.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented April 20, 1909.

Application filed November 21, 1908. Serial No. 463,795.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Eusrr-x A. PIIINNEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at .lawtucket, in the county of Providence and State of lthodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sepa rableButtons, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in separable buttons and thepurpose of my invention to provide a button for use either as a collarbutton or a button for garments in which the back portion may be readilyand quickly separated from the front portion thereof, but which willremain firmly united until the separation of the front and back portionis desired. I accomplish the purpose aforesaid by the device shown inthe accompanying drawing, in which Figures 1 and 2 are vertical sectionsthrough the center of the button; Fig. 3 the releasing member; Fig. 4 aspiral spring serving to keep the releasing member normally disengaged;Fig. 5 the locking attachment; and Fig. 6 an elevation of the button,all of said views being on a somewhat enlarged scale.

The same parts are indicated by the same letters throughout the severalviews.

In Fig. 1, (1 represents the tubular post or shank of the buttonexpanded at the lower part into a portion of the rear shield or buttonback a, a bein the back of the shield secured to a by being rolled overthe edge thereof as at a or by any other equivalent process. The upperportion of the post a is provided with an inwardly projecting flangeshown at a in this case done by roll ing the stem inwardly upon itself,but any other mechanically equivalent method of constructing the flangewould answer equally well. The back or shield a of the button isrecessed and made substantially cup-shaped at the central portion asshown at a for the purpose of accommodating the releasin member bb'b andthe spiral spring The releasing member b-bb consists of a shank or postof circular cross section, and l terminates at the upper portion in thecylinl drical tube 27 Th1s releasing member slides l easily within thepost a and is provided at its lower end with a suitable head 72'. This 1releasing member is provided with a shoull der 6 seen in Fig. 3 and isretained in position within the post a by this shoulder resting upon therecessed back of the button a, the portion 1) of the releasing membersliding easily in a circular hole in the center of the recess in theback (1. Between the head (1' and the bottom of the recess in the backshield of the button is the spiral spring (l which serves to keep thereleasing member normally disengaged from the locking mem berhereinafter described.

The front part or head of the button is composed of the parts theseparts forming the front shield of the button and being joined by anysuitable method, or the entire front shield may be made of a singlesolid piece. Fixed rigidly to the back surface of the front shield isthe catch or locle ing member c0 0 This locking menibcr coi'isistsessentially of a V shaped spring with one free end, rather narrow inproportion to its length, the extremity c of the free limb consisting ofa projecting lip adapted to engage the angular recess formed by theinward flange at the upper end of the post a. This locking member iscomposed preferably of a piece of spring brass or other metal bent uponitself so as to form the two limbs c-c; these limbs being so arrangedwith reference to each other that the upper opening of the V is widerthan the diameter of the opening of a at the flanged upper portionthereof so that when the front shield 0 -0 with the looking member fixedthereon is thrust into the flanged upper end of the post a, the limbsc-c' close upon themselves sufficiently to allow the front member of thebutton to bring up against the flanged upper end of the post a, and thefree limb of the spring cc is then released so that the projecting lip 0engages the recess formed by the wall of the post a and the flangedupper extremity thereof, thus holding the front portion of the buttonsecurely in place.

When it is desired to separate the front portion from the back the headof the releasing member b is pressed slightly inward; the upper portionof the releasing member If thus engages the upper end of the free limb cof the V shaped spring and releases the lip c from the flanged upperportion of the post (1, thus permitting the front shield 0 0 to bereadily separated from the remainder of the button. The lip of the freelimb c of the V sha ed spring ends in an acute angle as will e seen byreference to Figs. 1 and 2. thus insuring the locking of the front andback portion of the button together securely.

Having now described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patcut is l. A separable button comprising a hollow shank formedat one end with a back and at the other end formed with an inturnedflange, said back having an out wardl v prlrjecting cup-shaped portionapertured to aline with the bore of the hollow hank. a button headengaging the other end of said shank, a catch in the form of asubstantially V-shaped spring having one leg thereof secured to theinner face of the button head, said spring extending into the hollowshank with the free leg thereof engaging the inturned flange of saidshank, a releasing device con'lprising a post having a head on one endand the other end hollow, said head lying within the cup-shaped portionand the hollow end of said post extending into said hollow shank andreceiving the free end of said catch, and a spring arranged on the postof said releasing device for normally holding the latter in a retractedposition.

2. A separable button comprising a hollow shank having an inturnedflange on one end thereof, a button back on the other end of said hollowshank and havin wardlyextending cup-shaped portion open at both ends, abutton head, means secured the shank, a releasing device comprising apost having a head on one end, the other end of said post being hollowto receive the button head securing means, said post hav ing an annularrib seating against said cupshaped portion and limiting the movement ofthe releasing member in one direction, and

said cup-shaped portion for normally hold- ELI SHA A. PHINNE Y.

Witnesses THoMAs P. Conoomm, KATHERINE F DEGNAN.

a spring arranged on the post within

